Imagine life without deceit, lies, and mistrust. A dream of utopia, even.

Film Reviews

The film The Forest is about a woman who searches for her sister in a Japanese forest where angry spirits drive people to suicide. This is a decent thriller film to enjoy with your family or just yourself. There were some adequate gasping and yelling at the T.V. moments throughout the film. The film kept you wondering what was real and what wasn’t.

Natalie Dormer did a superb job of portraying a sister longing to find her twin sister. The co-stars did well in setting the mysterious ambiance of the film, specifically Taylor Kinney who played Aiden.

The beginning was a tad slow, yet suspenseful and vital for the majority of the film. The ending was a surprise. Some may like it and others may not. It really depends on your view. I cannot say more about the ending without ruining. Which brings me to the spoiler section.

(Spoiler Alert Ringing Loud and Proud!)

First thing first, if your guide strongly suggests that you not stay at night in a forest with angry spirits: don’t. If Jess had survive four or however many nights in the forest by herself then what would one more night do. I understand wanting to save your sister, but common sense has to come in somewhere. You can’t save your sister if you’re dead. Go home Sara, get some rest and come back ready for another day of searching for your sis.

Somebody please tell me why Aiden appeared so shady?! Maybe the directors or whomever were trying to make it seem as if it was just the forest making Sara think that Aiden was a little shady, but I have some unanswered questions about this dude. Was the photo of Jess on his phone real? Was he at the ranger station longer than he said he was (were those energy wrappers on the floor just in Sara’s head)? Why did he fall right to sleep like he didn’t just tell Sara, ‘I’ll stay on watch’? Plus, the man looked absolutely angry whenever Sara called him out on being odd.

Finally, you mean to tell me that Sara died due to her sister’s consistent, stupid mistakes and decisions?! Sara nor Aiden would not have died if Jess did not decide to stay overnight in the haunted forest, when she clearly knew that she was not supposed to do that.

Jess also knew that Sara always showed up when she was in trouble. She should have thought the outcomes through. But based on previous behavior, Jess didn’t care how her decisions affected others.

I really enjoyed the moral of the film. Do not allow your family to tear or bring you down.

I personally believed that if you’ve done all you can to help put that family member or friend and they make it apparent, by doing the same things over and over, that they do not want to change or help themselves you should let them go. You cannot make someone change, and you cannot keep bailing that person out at your own expense. Sara always helped her sister out and Jess made it clear that she was going to do whatever she wanted regardless of how it affected others. Jess made the idiotic decision to stay in the Spirit driven forest, and Sara’s life was lost because of it.